Lights and Fire
by HillyBean
Summary: "The fireworks crashed before I could formulate any kind of a question. Annabeth sat up quickly, her back to me. I could just see the side of her face, and it might have just been the light from the fireworks, she seemed to be blushing..." My take on what happened when Percy and Annabeth saw the fireworks together after 'The Bronze Dragon."


Hey guys! You know the drill. I own nothing.

**Lights and Fire**  
by Hillybean

* * *

_"Get me with those green eyes, Baby, as the lights go down,  
__Leave me something that will haunt me when you're not around,"_  
_-Taylor Swift_

* * *

I probably would've missed the fireworks if Beckendorf hadn't broken into my cabin.

See, after that afternoon's game of capture the flag, Annabeth may or may not have asked me out to the fireworks. That itself shouldn't have been a huge deal, I mean, we went together every year. But, we'd always gone as friends before, and part of me; the annoying part in my brain that sounds a little bit like Aphrodite sometimes, kept nagging at me that this year was different. The same thought had been knotted in my chest from the moment the horn sounded to end the game. I wanted this year to be different. I didn't want to just go as friends.

At least, that little part of me felt that way.  
Anyway, I decided to deal with my anxiety the best way that I could think of- taking a nap. It was pretty pointless- I didn't even have any weird demigod dreams to distract me. I just slept, dreamlessly, until a sharp yell woke me up.

_"ARGH! PERCE!"_ I snapped awake, grabbing _Anaklusmos_ from my beside table. I blinked a couple times, before my vision cleared up. Beckendorf was standing awkwardly in the open window to my cabin. One foot inside, one out, and there was a lobster with claws the size of Jack Russell terriers clamped onto his leg.  
"What are you doing?" I asked, jumping out of bed.  
"Is this your, like, attack lobster or something?"  
"I don't know!" I said truthfully, crossing over to the fountain under my windowsill. "It must be some kind of built in defe-"  
"I don't care what it is, Jackson, get it off of me!" He said, wincing in pain.  
I got down onto my knees, and put my hand into the fountain, beside the lobster's tale. The salt water sent a wave of calm through my body. I tried to project that to the lobster. I focused really hard.  
_"Hey there, lobster,"_ I thought _"It's totally awesome that my dad sent you and all, but stop trying to pinch my friend's leg. I don't think he means any harm," _

The lobster let go of Beckendorf, and settled into the fountain. It also shrunk to half it's size.  
"Sorry about that," I said, turning to Beckendorf apologetically. "That's never happened before,"  
"S'okay." He said, leaning down to inspect his leg. "We've got even gnarlier traps up at Cabin Nine. Does this guy have a name?"  
"Never seen it before. My dad probably sent him,"  
"Name him Chuck," Beckendorf said, absently. "Anyway, what are you doing? I knocked on the door for five minutes. The fireworks are going to start, and Annabeth is sitting on the beach all alone!" He paused, and smirked. "Well, she's with Silena right now, and Silena understood why-"

"I slept for three hours!" I said, looking at my watch. "Gods! I have to change, and-" I hurdled a pile of dirty clothes to get to my trunk.  
"I'll buy you some time with Annabeth. Lena will help, she's good with that," He said.  
I stopped, midway through pulling a clean camp t-shirt over my head. "Lena?" I laughed.  
"Shut up! I'm doing you multiple favors right now, Jackson," He chuckled, heading for the door.  
"I owe you, man," I said, as he left.  
I took a few deep breaths, before saying a silent, almost unconscious prayer to Aphrodite before leaving my cabin. As I made my way to the beach, where the fireworks were taking place, I started getting a little bit self-conscious. A lot of the girls were really dressed up. Skirts, dresses, frilly shirts, and their makeup all done up- it was very unusual at camp, even for the Aphrodite girls. I'd never really noticed how seriously the girls took the fireworks as a "date night". I'd also never had a really had a date for the fireworks before. I kind of hoped that Annabeth wouldn't be all dressed up and fancy.

I wasn't disappointed. About three seconds later, I saw her sitting with Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard at the front of the beach, a couple yards from the shoreline. In just jean shorts and an orange t-shirt, accessorized by a huge beach bag, she stood in stark contrast to Silena, and who, after capture the flag, had changed into a hot pink sundress. Don't get me wrong, they both looked incredible, but I just preferred Annabeth's casualness.

Silena saw me first, and whispered something to Annabeth, who laughed, and jumped up. She jogged over to me.  
"Finally got here?" She said, crossing her arms when she reached me.  
I shrugged. "Yeah, I mean, I- well-"

"Save it, Seaweed Brain," She said, playfully. "Beckendorf told me that you fell asleep,"  
We started walking across the beach, weaving in between couples already seated, and friends who settled in big groups around small campfires.  
"We did have kind of a big day, in case you forgot," I said, bumping her, nonchalantly.  
Annabeth laughed, pulling her curly hair back into a bun as we walked. "You mean, I had a big day of my team kicking your team's butt,"  
"Just wait 'til next time-" I said, before cutting myself off. We were getting close to the end of the beach, and getting closer to the forest. "Where are we going?"

"I found this place about seven years ago," She explained, as we crossed into the woods. "Just trust me, it's better,"

We hiked for a few minutes, and I heard Chiron's introduction to the fireworks growing fainter and fainter and the cover of the trees overhead getting thicker and thicker.  
"If this is some kind of continuation of your plan from earlier?" I joked. "Are we going to run into a bunch of psycho-ant things? You're going to feed me to them. Get rid of me,"  
"Shut up!" Annabeth snapped, suddenly. I was surprised. She never took that harsh of a tone with me. It softened immediately. "Come on. Don't you trust me?" She reached back, and grasped my hand apologetically. She let go very quickly.  
"More than anyone else," I shrugged.

"Good," She said, grinning as she turned around. "Because we're almost there,"  
I could hear the fireworks beginning overhead. The tree began to thin, opening up into a huge clearing, at the center of which was a huge boulder. The sky above was clear, and filled with stars- and next to the stars, a giant image of a hydra spewing blood everywhere.

Annabeth and I sat down on the rock, and laid back.  
The fireworks seemed closer- we must've gone up hill. It was also quieter than it would've been on the beach, with all of the other campers "oohing" and "aahing".

"You were right," I said, staring up at the tail end of Hercules' labors playing across the sky.

"What else is new?" She smirked, staring over at me, her intense gray eyes daring me to disagree. I looked back at her for a second, and then she suddenly looked away. "Cerberus!" She cried, pointing at the sky. She sat up suddenly, pulling her legs up to her chest. "I miss him,"  
I stared up at the sky, seeing a fiery, three headed rottweiler staring back at me. "Seriously?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Kind of," Annabeth said. "I never had a dog…"  
"I could use help taking care of Mrs. O'Leary, If you want. We can play with her tomorrow," I suggested, lying back with my hands behind my head. "Hades is too far away and I don't want to go back anytime soon, thanks."  
Annabeth, ceased her laughing, and made as if she as going to lie back down beside me. She did, but much more closely than she had been lying previously. Annabeth rested her head on my chest, staring blankly at the stars. I was confused, but I wasn't going to complain either. I removed one of my arms from behind my head, and wrapped it around her.

This sudden closeness reminded me of something. It reminded me of her actions on Mount St. Helens. It reminded me of the somberness and suddenness with which she kissed me.

I'd spent the days since I had returned from Ogygia dwelling upon that kiss.

Unfortunately, the dwelling was about to come to an end.

"Annabeth-" I blurted out in between an firework air show of Amelia Earnhart and Charles Lindbergh, "When you kissed me on Mount St. Helens-"

The fireworks crashed before I could formulate any kind of a question. Annabeth sat up quickly, her back to me. I could just see the side of her face, and it might have just been the light from the fireworks, she seemed to be blushing.

"Percy, that- I thought you were going to die, or I was going to die, and you know- ADHD, impulsivity," She trailed off a little bit, and turned to face me, "I'm sorry."  
"You don't have to apologize," I said, quickly. "You definitely don't have to apologize," I mumbled.  
She choked out a laugh. "Good, because I'm not really sorry," She said, weakly.

We sat there in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other. I wanted to kiss her again. Just before I got up the courage, I head an overwhelming clapping and cheering coming from the beach. Looking up at the sky, I saw the final scene of the fireworks playing out. The twelve Olympians spread out across the sky. It's tradition at camp- during the last scene, everyone offers up a prayer or a wish to them. They were supposed to listen especially close toward the end of camp, with all of their kids going back to the real world.

I put my thought for Annabeth aside, and forced aside my longing to pray to Aphrodite, Eros- any love god who would listen.

I thought of the Great Prophecy. I thought of the decision that I would have to make in the very near future. This had been troubling me worse than the whole Annabeth situation had. The pressure- I felt like I was holding the sky all over again. I prayed to my father, for his blessing and support, to Athena for wisdom, to Zeus, to not screw things up for me. When I was finished, I turned to Annabeth, who was hugging her knees to her chest once more.  
"What'd you pray for?" She asked, quietly.

"Help," I answered, rubbing the back of my neck, "With that gods-awful prophecy." The sky went black, and my floodgates opened. "Because- and you can't tell anyone this, because I don't want to scare them- I'm completely freaked out, Annabeth. I don't know what I'm going to do. What if I make the wrong choice? I can't even pick the right breakfast food to eat half of the time. And food is easy, if it's blue, I eat it, but this is the world, and I don't want to ruin it. I think that's what I'm most afraid of," I said, letting out a deep breath.  
Despite the darkness, I could see that Annabeth was crying.  
"Hey," I said, carefully, uncomfortable to find myself with a crying Annabeth yet again in the same summer. I grabbed for her hand. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Annabeth shook her head vigorously. "I- just- don't," She sobbed, incoherently. "You're going to make the right decision, Percy."  
"I hope so," I said. I shifted, so that I could wrap my arms around her shaking body.  
"I know you will," She said, vaguely through her sobs.  
After a few seconds, when she had calmed down a bit, she wiggled out of my arms.  
"You told me what you are afraid of," She said, taking a deep breath. "Do you want to know what scared me the most?"  
I nodded, even though I was pretty sure that she was going to tell me anyway.  
"Mount St. Helens," She muttered. "Losing you. You're my best friend in the world, Percy," She began crying again, and I held out my arms. She started crying into my chest. She was still talking, and I wish I knew what she was saying, but it was all muffled into my shirt and through her tears. I did my best to comfort her. I rubbed her back, and I kissed her hair and eventually she stopped crying altogether.

We decided to head back to camp at that point. I walked Annabeth to her cabin. She turned to me outside the doorway. "I'm sorry I ruined our-," She cut her self off, "-our night,"  
"That's okay. It was a good first-," I smirked. "-night,"  
Annabeth hugged me tightly. "Goodnight," She said, letting out a sigh. "We'll play with Mrs. O'Leary tomorrow?"  
"Definitely," I said, laughing. "Oh! And I got a lobster. His name is Chuck!"  
"Chuck the Lobster," Annabeth said, letting me go.  
"Beckendorf named him," I explained.  
"Solid," Annabeth nodded. "Can't wait to meet him,"  
"He'll be friendly as long as you don't sneak through my window,"  
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why would I sneak through your window, Seaweed Brain?"  
"Beats me. Ask Beckendorf," I said, shrugging.  
"What's Beckendorf sneaking through your window for?" She said. She was just giving me a hard time at that point.  
"To wake me up so I wouldn't miss our date, Wise Girl," I said, wanting to stick out my tongue.  
"Our date," Annabeth repeated, with a small smile playing on her face. "I guess I should thank him then."  
We were silent for yet another moment.  
"Goodnight, Percy." She said, turning around, and walking into her cabin.

* * *

**Hey guys! So this is my first fic back after about five years. It's very rusty, and actually, this one isn't done. I'm putting together a missing moments saga-esque thing, and one of the concepts that I've been playing around with is that of the fireworks. I think that I'm going to do a series of oneshots about Percy watching fireworks. This is just one, because I wanted you guys to give me your opinions. **

**One thing that I tried with this, was to stay away from the thing that you see with all the stories from this particular fireworks excursion, where everything is awkward for Percy, and he just focuses on how pretty Annabeth is and how much that her _lurves_ her. I wanted to play up Annabeth's emotions a little more, because, let's face it, she'd probably be a little on edge- at this point, Luke is gone and she thinks Percy is going to die. I wanted to show it getting to her.**

**I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you do or don't!**

_Valete,  
Hillybean_


End file.
